Alarm timepiece



April 1969 R. P. JACCARD 3,440,816

ALARM TIMEPIECE Filed July 17, 1967 Sheet 1 0f 2 Sheet Z of 2 Filed July 17, 1967 United States Patent ALARM TIMEPIECE Rene Philippe Jaccard, Chemin du Fort de lEcluse, Petit-Lancy, Geneva, Switzerland Filed July 17, 1967, Ser. No. 653,851 Claims priority, application Switzerland, July 21, 1966,

Int. Cl. G04b 23/10 US. Cl. 58-18 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Alarm timepiece with a device for intermittently blocking the striking mechanism, which comprises at least a cam connected with a triggering member, this cam defining at least two successive triggering positions of said member, the member being adapted to cooperate with blocking means producing the intermittent blocking of the striking mechanism and connected kinematically to the wheel work of the striking mechanism, the blocking means cooperating with the triggering member after a first triggering of the striking mechanism, the second triggering position occupied by the triggering member rendering inoperative these blocking means.

The object of the present invention is an alarm timepiece having a mechanism for intermittently stopping the striking mechanism.

Mechanisms of this type known heretofore generally operate with a pinion rigid with a mobile of the wheel work and in which a piece secured to the hammer is engaged periodically by a cam, the rotation of the mobile rigid with this pinion liberating periodically the hammer.

These mechanisms are generally complicated and can not be adapted to movements already in existence. Their linking with a mobile of the hour wheel work moreover occasions perturbations of the regulating system during functioning of the striking mechanism. In effect, the pressure exerted on this mobile increases the couple transmitted to the escapement thus varying the amplitude of the balance.

The present invention has for an object an alarm timepiece having a mechanism for intermittently stopping the striking mechanism, comprising a cam connected with a triggering member, this cam defining at least two successive triggering positions of said member, characterized by the fact that this member is adapted to cooperate with means producing the blocking of the striking works and kinematically connected to the gear work of the striking mechanism, said blocking means comprising a trip member cooperating with said member after a first triggering of the striking works, the second of said triggering positions occupied by the triggering member rendering the trip member inoperative.

The accompanying drawing represents by way of example one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the movement.

FIGURE 2 is an underneath view of the movement.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view along line III--III of FIGURE 1.

FIGURES 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views along line IV-IV of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged detail view showing the drop off cam.

The motor spring placed in barrel 1 drives the hour gear work with its teeth 2. A wheel 3 fixed on barrel shaft meshes with the wheel work of the striking mechanism which comprises a gear 4 pivoted at its upper part in an elongated opening 5 and urged in the direction of the 3,440,816 Patented Apr. 29, 1969 wheel 3 by a spring 6, an escapement wheel 7 meshing with the hammer of the striking work 8.

A pinion 9 integral with the shaft of the barrel 10 meshes with a stop wheel 11 having a heel 12 and a non-toothed sector 13. A spring 34 is placed in the trajectory of heel 12 limiting the rotation of wheel 11 during winding of the barrel.

The free extremity of an arm 14 is urged by a spring 15 in the direction of wheel 11 in the trajectory of key 16 integral with this wheel. A stud 17 serves as a stop for arm 14, which is secured to a small rod 18 pivoted in the plates 19 and 20. A second arm 21 is secured to this rod under plate 20 and passes diametrically through the movement. This arm 21 bears elastically against the hour wheel 22 and forming a trip member 23 passing through an opening 35 of plate 20 cooperates with a pin 24 of the hammer of striking mechanism 8. A second pin 25 longer than the first is secured to this hammer.

A drop off cam 26 integral with the hour wheel 22 bears against the alarm wheel 27. This wheel has an opening 28 placed on the same radius as cam 26 and the dimensions of which permit this cam to penetrate therein.

The trigger arm 21 consists of a spring blade, secured to rod 18 by a screw 29. This blade is slightly pre-stressed in direction of the hour wheel 22 in such a way as to exert a constant pressure in direction of the hour wheel. Cam 26 driven by the hour wheel in the direction of arrow F has an inclined part 30 and a vertical edge 31 in the middle of which is made a nick 32. An opening 33 cut in the middle of arm 21 is intended for the passage of the cannon of the hour wheel 22; its diameter is greater than that of this cannon.

The adjustment of this alarm is made in usual fashion. The alarm wheel 27 integral with the alarm hand, not shown, is adjusted angularly on the hour set by known means. Cam 26 makes one turn in twelve hours with the hour wheel 22. When nick 32 of the cam arrives in front of the edge of the opening 28 of the alarm wheel 27, this nick penetrates in this opening under the pressure exerted by the elastic arm 21 on the hour wheel 22. The trip member 23 of the arm 21 lowers itself into the position shown in dotted lines on FIGURE 4 freeing pin 24 from hammer 8.

Hammer 8 oscillates then under the action of the escapement wheel 7 driven by the mobile 4 which meshes with wheel 3 integral with the shaft of the barrel 10. Pinion 9 rigid with the same shaft 10 drives the stop wheel 11 clockwise, bringing then pin 16 against the extremity of arm 14, making it pivot against spring 15. This arm 14 drives in its rotation rod 18 and arm 21 bringing the trip member 23 of this latter against the pin 25 of hammer 8 as shown in full lines on FIGURE 5, causing the blocking of hammer 8.

The hour wheel continues to turn, bringing after a predetermined time the vertical edge 31 facing the wall of opening 28, causing a second axial movement of the hour Jheel under the action of the triggering arm 21, lowering trip member 23 of this arm into the position shown in dotted lines on FIGURE 5, thus freeing the pin 25 of hammer 8 and liberating the wheel work of the striking mechanism until the heel .12 of the stop wheel 11 comes to hurt against the denture of pinion 9. In continuing to turn clockwise, the inclined part 30 of cam 26 lifts the triggering arm 21 placing trip member 23 in the trajectory of pin 24 of hammer 8 thus locking the wheel work of the striking mechanism.

Rewinding the barrel causes the return of stop wheel 11 into the position shown on FIGURE 1. Rotation of the shaft of barrel 10 drives wheel 3. The striking mechanism being locked by the trip member 23 of triggering arm 21, the elongated opening 5 in which is pivoted an extremity of mobile 4 and the clutching spring 6 pressing this mobile against the wheel 3 permits the disconnection of the striking mechanism during rewinding of the barrel spring.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the example described. This mechanism can also be adapted to a movement with two barrels.

In such a movement pin 16 is replaced from stop wheel 11 by a cam or a pin integral with the shaft of the spring of the striking mechanism, for example.

It is easy to increase the number of stops of the striking mechanism by making several nicks on edge 31 of cam 26 and by placing several pins 16 on the stop wheel 11 plabed at different distances from the axis of rotation of this wheel. The number of pins of hammer 8 is then also increased each having a different length in such a way that the rotation of arm 21 around the axis of rod .18 brings the trip member 23 of this arm successively in the trajectory of each of these pins.

It is also possible to eliminate nick 32 by providing an inclined surface on the edge of opening 28 in the plane of wheel 27. It is also possible to provide two cams 26 each making a coaxial trajectory around the shaft of the hour wheel and cooperating each with an opening 28 of wheel 27, these openings being angularly dephased and each cam having a different height.

Pin 25 of hammer 8 can be replaced by a nick'cut in the face of the trip member 23 of arm 21.

What is claimed is:

1. In an alarm timepiece, a striking mechanism having a hammer, a motor spring driving an hour mechanism including an axially movable hour wheel having at least one drop off cam integral therewith, a settable alarm wheel coaxial with said hour wheel and having at least one opening therein for receiving said cam when said opening in said cam are in register, and an escapement wheel meshing with said hammer, a triggering resilient arm urging said hour wheel against said alarm wheel, said arm having a trip member at one end thereof normally occupying a hammer silencing position with respect to said hammer as long as said cam is not received by said opening in said alarm wheel and releasing said hammer upon reception of said cam by said opening; a. stop wheel periodically rotated by said motor spring when said hammer oscillates; a looking lever pivoted by said stop wheel and pivotally connected to the other end of said resilient arm for returning said arm to said hammer silencing position.

2. Timepiece according to claim 1, having a plurality of plates forming a movement cage therein, said lever and said arm being connected through a small rod pivoted between said plates.

3. Timepiece according to claim 1, wherein said stop wheel has at least one pin engageable with one end of said locking lever for pivoting the same.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,228,039 5/1917 Meikle 58-21.155 2,920,438 1/1960 Phaneuf 5821.155 3,004,380 10/1961 Sidell et al SEE-21.155 3,308,617 3/1967 Balchunas 582l.l'55

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

E. C. SIMMONS, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

